Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTERACTION
PROMPT INITIATED VIDEO ADVERTISING
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The field of the invention relates generally to conlputer systems and
more particularly
relates to systems and methods for interaction prompt initiated video
advertising.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Internet users have begun interacting with the web in new ways. No
longer limited to
simply browsing for information, people are using the hnternet to auction
collectibles, sell cars
and houses, share photos with their families and friends, meet new friends,
romantic interests,
share many elements of their lives with others by posting text, photos,
graphics and,
increasingly, video online. However, online communities and services that
provide video
sharing features for users often find that users consume inuch higher levels
of storage space
and bandwidth when they use video features because files containing video
information are
generally much larger than most other files posted and viewed by internet
users.
[0003] As more people gain access to broadband Internet connections and video-
enabled
digital cameras and cell phones, they will want to incorporate rich media into
these
interactions. While today Internet users are uploading still photos, in the
future they will
upload home videos to share with friends, walking tours to accompany their
real estate listings,
and videos to augment their online dating profiles.
[0004] One of the principal barriers to this interactive multi-media future is
the complexity of
putting digital video on the web. Uploading video requires a technical
understanding of video
formats and codecs, encoders, players, and streaming servers. The average
Internet user simply
does not understand the intricacies of preparing a video for the web. There
exists a need to
improve a user's ability to post and view video.
[0005] Internet communities and services often provide posting and sharing
features free-of-
charge. They support their services by placing advertising within their
websites. In order to
support the costs incurred while providing relatively more expensive video
features,
advertising can be placed in association with the video content. Many forms of
advertising
require users to watch advertising messages before a video (pre-roll), in the
middle of a video
or series of videos (interstitial) or after a video (post-roll). These
advertising forms are often
resented by users for their intrusiveness. There exists a need to improve the
presentation of
advertising messages associated with internet videos.
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SUMMARY
[0006] Systems and methods for interaction prompt initiated video advertising
are disclosed.
According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing
digital
advertising content, the digital content including digital video, and digital
slideshows. An XML
file is served from an ad server to a player embedded in a web site. One or
more
advertisements are dynamically generated from the XML file and the digital
content. The one
or more advertisements are displayed with video content requested through the
web site.
[0007] The above and other preferred features, including various novel details
of
implementation and combination of elements, will now be more particularly
described with
reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will
be understood
that the particular methods and systems described herein are shown by way of
illustration only
and not as limitations. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the
principles and
features described herein may be employed in various and numerous embodiments
without
departing from the scope of the teachings herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are included as part of the present
specification,
illustrate the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and
together with the
general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred
embodiment given
below serve to explain and teach the principles of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a browser enabled video
manipulation and posting
facility 100 with video advertising, according to one embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary web browser 108,
according to one
embodiment;
[0011 ] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary publisher 112,
according to one
embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary player 128, according to
one
embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary application server(s)
120, according to
one embodiment; and
[0014] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer architecture for use with the
present system,
according to one embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Systems and methods for interaction prompt initiated video advertising
are disclosed.
According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing
digital
advertising content, the digital content including digital video, and digital
slideshows. An XML
file is served from an ad server to a player embedded in a web site. One or
more
advertisements are dynamically generated from the XML file and the digital
content. The one
or more advertisements are displayed with video content requested through the
web site.
[0016] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific
nomenclature is set
forth to provide a thorough understanding of the various inventive concepts
disclosed herein.
However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific
details are not required
in order to practice the various inventive concepts disclosed herein.
[0017] The present invention also relates to apparatus for performing the
operations herein.
This apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or it
may comprise a
general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer
program stored
in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable
storage
medium, such as, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy
disks, optical disks,
CD-ROMs, and magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories, random access
memories,
EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media suitable for
storing
electronic instructions, and each coupled to a computer system bus.
[0018] The methods presented herein are not inherently related to any
particular computer or
other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in
accordance
with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more
specialized apparatus
to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of
these systems will
appear from the description below. In addition, the present invention is not
described with
reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that
a variety of
programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the invention
as described
herein.
[0019] According to one embodiment, the system provides video extraction,
manipulation,
posting and other related functions through a network user interface (e.g.,
browser 108)
application. The integration of the video functions into the network user
interface provides
many advantages to a user who wants to ultimately post his videos onto
websites 122. The
invention described herein provides a simple means of posting a video file to
the Internet to
anyone familiar with the use of a browser 108. No knowledge of video file
formats or Internet
protocols is required. In embodiments, the user merely performs a one-time
installation of
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plug-in software to their browser 108, enabling them to drag-and-drop video
files for
immediate extraction, or edit and post a video file to a website 122 or other
location accessible
through the network user interface.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a browser enabled video
manipulation and posting
facility 100 with video advertising, according to one embodiment. The browser
enabled video
manipulation and posting facility 100 may include a browser enabled processor
platform 104A
(e.g., a personal computer or laptop computer) and the browser enabled
processor platform
104A may be operating a web browser facility 108A. With this configuration,
the user of the
browser enabled processor platform 104A may interact with a variety of
networks 118,
network locations 122 (e.g., websites), advertising server(s) 135, and local
applications (e.g.
the publisher 112). A video manipulation and posting publisher 112 may be
directly associated
with a network browser facility 108A and these software components may operate
on the
browser enabled processor platform 104A. The publisher 112 may be configured
as a browser
plug-in or other form of software component that is adapted to be directly
associated with a
browser application 108A. The publisher 112 may be a downloadable software
component or it
may be delivered to the user of the browser enabled processor platform 104A in
any number of
other ways (e.g., delivered from a CD, DVD, memory stick, portable memory, FTP
transfer,
etc.). Once the publisher 112 is presented on the browser enabled processor
platform 104A, it
may be installed in such a way that its functionalities (e.g., extracting
video files from video
sources, editing video, converting video files to playback formats, posting
video to network
locations, and other such functionality as described herein) are presented to
a user through a
user interface 110 associated with the browser 108A. This configuration allows
a user to
interact with network locations 122 through the browser interface and then
interact with any of
the publisher's 112 functionalities through the same user interface. In
embodiments, the
publisher 112 may also access a hard drive, database 114, or other storage
facility for the
storing of video files or the retrieval of video files.
[0021 ] While the browser enabled processor platform 104A may be a standalone
facility, with
respect to some of the other facilities in the manipulation and posting
facility, in embodiments,
the browser enabled processor platform 104A may be directly associated with a
video enabled
recording/storage device 102. For example, the browser enabled processor
platform 104A may
be integrated into a digital camera 102A such that a user of the digital
camera 102A can
interact with a network 118 for the purpose of manipulating and posting a
video file.
According to one embodiment, network 118 is described as being the Internet,
alternatively,
the network 118 may be a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN),
or any
other system of interconnections enabling two or more devices to exchange
infonnation.
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Further, the network 118 may include a wireless network, such that one or more
of processor
platforms 104 may be wireless devices.
[0022] The publisher 112 may be adapted to interact with one or more types of
video enabled
recording/storage devices 102. The publisher 112 may be adapted to extract
video files from
video enabled recording/storage devices 102, andlor the publisher 112 may be
adapted to
perform functions associated with the video enabled recording/ storage devices
102. A user of
the browser enabled processor platform 104A may make a data connection between
a video
enabled recording/storage device 102 and the publisher 112 to extract a video
file, manipulate
the video file, control the video enabled recording/storage device 102, or
other video transfer
process.
[0023] Once the publisher 112 has extracted a video file from a video enabled
recording/storage device 102, the publisher 112 maybe used to edit the video
file, manipulate
the video file, convert the video file to an acceptable format (e.g., a
streaming format) for
posting to a network location 122, or otherwise prepare the file for posting
to a network
location 122. The publisher 112 may then connect to a network 118 through a
network
interface 110A that is associated with the browser enabled processor facility
104A to connect
to a network 118. The publisher 112 may then post the video file to a network
location 122
(e.g., a website or webpage).
[0024] The browser enabled processor platform 104A may enable an
interconnection to a
video enabled recording/storage device 102 that may or may not be an integral
part of the
browser enabled processor platform 104A. The user, through a drag-and-drop
interface within
publisher 112, may transfer video files to the publisher 112. The publisher
112 may then
automatically transcode the video files into a common file format for network
posting (e.g., a
streaming format), which readies the video file for posting to a network
location 122 (e.g., the
Internet). The user may choose to edit the video file prior to posting to the
Internet where the
user would utilize familiar VCR/DVR-type controls, and video editing tools.
For uplink to the
network location 122, the publisher 112 interfaces with a network 118 through
the web
browser 108 via the network interface 110A. Video files are then passed from
the publisher
112 to the content delivery network 124 across the network 118. An application
server(s) 120
may assist the data transfer between the user's publisher 112 and the content
delivery network
124 where the video files will be stored. In other embodiments, the data
transfer may occur
without the use of an application server(s) 120. Video files stored on the
content delivery
network 124 may be linked to a network location 122 (e.g., a personal website,
professional
website, enterprise website, myspace.com website, auction website, reverse
auction website,
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advertisement website, classified advertisement website, auto website, rental
website, real
estate web site, other forms of e-commerce websites, or other networked user
resource
locations) to provide access, viewing and streaming/downloading to other
people desiring to
interact with the linked video.
[0025] A user interested in interacting with the linked video may interact
with the video files
on the content delivery network 124 and view the video file through the player
128. In
embodiments, the 'viewing' user may view the video through a streaming video
player, a
sequenced video player, a progressive download video player or other video
player. In
embodiments, the 'viewing' user may interact with the video file posted on the
content delivery
network 124 by downloading or copying the file to the user's computing/viewing
platform. In
embodiments, the application server(s) 120 may offer a download of the player
128 for users
that have not previously viewed a video.
[0026] Advertising servers 135 may serve many different purposes. For example,
according to
one embodiment advertising server 135 provides advertising content to content
delivery
network 124, so that advertisements may be provided along with video content.
Advertising
server 135 may be part of content delivery network 124, or an independent
server. According
to one embodiment, advertising server 135 collects advertising content from
various
advertisers. Advertising server 135 may also receive information from the
content delivery
network 124 pertaining to the users who view content through the content
delivery network
124. The content delivery network 124 collects information about the user such
as the user's
age, location, gender, income, education, ethnicity, product preferences and a
variety of other
demographic characteristics that are useful in matching an advertisement to a
user. The
content delivery network 124 also collects information about the user's
viewing experience
such as the location of player 128, the genre of the content viewed, the type
of content viewed
(e.g., video, slideshow, widget), and the location of the player 128 within
the browser. The
aggregated advertising information can then be transferred to various
advertisers, often time
advertisers will pay for this aggregated information. According to one
embodiment, the
information is passed from the content delivery network 124 to the advertising
server 135 once
a user begins to watch content on the player 128. The website that provides
the video player
128 also includes code to pass the user's information to the content delivery
network and
advertising server 124.
[0027] A user choosing to interact with a video file that was posted on the
content delivery
network 124 may use his own browser enabled processor platform 104B equipped
with a
network browsing facility 108B, network interface 110B and player 128 to
connect to the video
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file by interacting with a link or other such connection facility associated
with a network
location 122 (e.g., a website or page as described elsewhere herein).
[0028] The player 128 may be a proprietary player or any other video player
because the
advertising capabilities described herein'is independent of the player. The
player 128 requires
no plugin, according to one embodiment, and may operate as a Flash player.
Other players are
also envisioned and require other plug-in technology (e.g. Windows Media, Real
Player or
QuickTime). The player 128 may be adapted as a browser plug-in that is adapted
to become
directly associated or integrated with the browser application 108B The user's
browser enabled
processor platform 104B may be checked to see if it already has the proper
player 128 installed
and if it does not, the user may be provided an option to install one, or it
may occur
automatically or in some of fashion.
[0029] While the browser enabled processor platform 104B may be a standalone
computing
system such as a desktop, laptop computer, or the like. In embodiments, the
browser enabled
processor platform 104B may be integrated into a video enabled playback device
132. For
example, a digital camera 132A, digital video camera 132B, cell phone 132C,
PDA 132D, or
other video display facility 132E may be directly associated with (e.g.,
integrated with) the
browser enabled processor platform 104B. A user may use a video enabled
playback device
132 to view, download, copy, manipulate, control or otherwise interact with a
video file posted
on the content delivery network 124 by connecting to it through the linked
network location
122.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary web browser 108,
according to one
embodiment. The web browser 108 may host the publisher 112 and/or player 128
(e.g., as an
integrated browser plug-in) and may provide for the interconnection of the
publisher 112 with
external components such as video enabled recording device(s) 132, the network
118, file
storage (e.g., local storage such as database 114 and database 130, or network
storage such as
on the content delivery network 124) within a browser enabled processor
platform 104. The
browser 108 may provide upload and download functions through the network
interface, for
transfer of files to and from the browser enabled processor platform 104,
provide user interface
network navigation tools and provide other such network user interface tools.
The web browser
108 may also provide for a web interface to the user with functions that
include navigation
control within web pages, bookmark management, favorite page storage and the
like.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary publisher 112,
according to one
embodiment. The publisher 112 may provide for a 'drag-and-drop' style user
interface through
which video files from a video enabled recording/storage device 102 may be
transferred to the
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publisher 112. Video files may then be transcoded into a format compatible
with network
posting and viewing where the user may utilize editing features of publisher
112 to modify the
video file prior to uploading. The edited, transcoded or otherwise manipulated
video file may
then be transferred to the content delivery network 124 through the network
interface 110A.
Video files may also be transferred into the file storage 114 of the browser
enabled processor
platform 104 through the browser interface. The user may also control
parameters that
customize the user interface, receive interactive help from a publisher's help
software module,
and receive automatic updates to publisher 112 software modules. Security
software modules
may be incorporated to protect the system from disallowed activity.
[0032] FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary player 128, according to
one
embodiment. The player 128 provides a user interface that allows the download,
copying,
viewing and interaction of video files previously stored on the content
delivery network 124.
Downloading of video files, or otherwise interacting with the files as
described herein, is
enabled through the player's web interface to the browser network interface.
Video files may
also be stored in the browser enabled processor platform 104 through the
player's browser
interface. Playback controls may be made available though typical VCR/DVR-type
controls
such as play, stop, pause, rewind, fast forward, copy, paste, cut, save, and
other such control
features.
[0033] The player 128 also includes an advertising region 435. Advertising
messages are a
part of a website's video viewing and/or video navigation interfaces. For
example, an image of
a cola bottle may travel across the bottom of the advertising region 435. In
embodiments, these
advertising messages are trigged by a user's interaction with an interaction
prompt within
advertising region 435. According to one embodiment, upon the user's
interaction with the
interaction prompt, an advertising message is presented. Continuing with the
example, once
the user clicks on the cola bottle a full video advertisement for the cola
becomes available.
Further interaction prompts may also be presented.
[0034] According to one embodiment, upon the user's interaction with the
interaction prompt,
the video viewing or navigation interface is placed in a suspended state. In
other words, the
video that the user was originally viewing pauses. In one embodiment, such
pause may be for
the duration of the advertising message, until a user action occurs or for
another duration.
[0035] In one embodiment, interaction with the advertising message presents
the user with the
advertising message interaction prompt. The interaction prompt includes
navigational controls
that may be presented to the user during the advertising message. With the
advertisement, the
user is also presented with navigation controls to stop, pause, asset or
window close (which is
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often represented by an X), sound-on, sound-off or other control that allows
the user to change
an aspect of the advertising message, conclude the advertising message,
restart the advertising
message, save or otherwise bookmark the advertising message, provide feedback
on the
advertising message or perform some other function. The navigational controls
also allow the
user to return to and resume viewing the video.
[0036] In one embodiment, the video viewing or navigation interface may be a
flash-based
video player 128, or other browser-based video player, adapted to deliver
video content as a
part of a website. The player 128 may also be a flash-based video navigation
interface which
allows users to select video content to view. In one embodiment, the
interaction prompt in
advertising region 435 may be a graphical element presented within the video
viewing or
navigation interface 425, informing the viewer that advertising content is
available and
encouraging the viewer to interact with the prompt to view the advertising.
Such interactions
may include mouse movement, click, keystroke, a combination of such inputs
and/or some
other form or forms of user input.
[0037] In one embodiment, the interaction prompt may take the form of a
graphical,
photographical, video or text asset. For example, the prompt may state "click
here to watch
ad." The interaction prompt may be presented statically or dynamically. The
interaction
prompt may present advertising messages in a similar way to the way the player
128 presents
other, non-advertising, content. The interaction prompt may exhibit elements
of interactivity
by responding to user-inputs such as mouse-movements, mouse-position, clicks,
keystrokes
and other inputs. In one embodiment, the interaction prompt may appear before,
during or
after video playback. In one embodiment, multiple interaction prompts may be
presented in
association with a single piece of content and/or a single interaction prompt.
[0038] According to one embodiment, an advertising message in advertising
region 435
includes text, picture, audio, graphical or video content presented to promote
a product or
service and/or encourage a user to interact with the advertising message.
[0039] In one embodiment, the advertising message presented in advertising
region 435 directs
the user's web-browser to a website or other user-resource or perform some
other action.
[0040] Returning to FIG. 1, application servers 120
In embodiments, as depicted in Fig 6:
1. Instructions regarding the retrieval, handling, and presentation of video
and/or other
content, information, data, interaction prompt(s) (3, 3a, etc), advertising
messages (5 -
not pictured) as well as other logic, instructions, information, parameters
and/or
commands may be passed to the video viewing or navigation interface (1) by the
web
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page (10), referenced in a configuration file (11), hard-coded into the
interface (1)
and/or made available by some other mechanism.
2. Upon instantiation of the video viewing or navigation interface (1), or at
some later
point, the video viewing or navigation interface (1) may contact the
advertising server
(2). In embodiments, the video viewing or navigation interface (1) may also
contact
additional ad server(s) (2a), other content server(s) (4) and/or video storage
server(s)
(6). In embodiments, ad sever (2) may contact and/or receive content from
content
sever(s) (4) and/or video storage server(s) (6)
3. In response, the advertising server (2), other contacted servers such as
other content
server(s) (4) or video storage server(s) (6), may provide the video viewing or
navigation
interface (1) with any meta-data, content and/or other information, including
information necessary to present interaction prompt (3) and/or any related
advertising
messages (5 - not pictured), and may define the advertising message
interaction action
(9 - not pictured). Additionally, video storage server (6), may provide video
or other
content to be presented by video viewing or navigation interface (1)
4. Upon receipt of the necessary information, or at some other point, video
viewing or
navigation interface (1) may present the appropriate information to the user
as
instructed, at which time the user's interaction or non-interaction with the
interaction
prompt(s), advertising messages (5), advertising message interaction action
(9) and/or
other user actions andlor information may be recorded and transmitted from
video
viewing or navigation interface (1) directly to reporting server (12), and/or
to the ad
server (2) and/or the video storage server (6) for re-transmission to
reporting server (12)
and/or use by other reporting/recording processes.
[0041] FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary application server(s)
120, according to
one embodiment. The application server(s) 120 may provide central control of
the certain
system platform functions such as providing content deliver network 124
control, providing a
central website for the a publisher's home page, providing account management,
providing a
source of executable downloads for the publisher 112 and player 128 browser
plug-ins,
providing automatic updates to publisher 112 and player 128 sites, providing
logging of data
flow and usage, providing authorization for use of the components of the
system (such as
uploading videos to the content deliver network 124), and providing other
controls to facilitate
the posting, editing, manipulating, and viewing of video files.
[0042] An embodiment of a process according to aspects of the present
invention shall now be
described. A client device may embed the publisher 112 directly in a client
site using standard
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object/embed HTML tags. The client passes parameters in the HTML that control
the
appearance and functionality of the publisher. The publisher 112 checks for
new modules that
should be installed from the application servers 120 and performs any
necessary or desired
updates. A user may interact with the publisher 112 to select a source device
and/or source file.
The publisher 112 performs another round of updates, this time looking for
updates required to
use the specific file or device. If the device or file is unsupported, the
publisher 112 may report
the error to the application servers 120. The publisher 112 opens a connection
to the content
delivery network and authorizes itself. The publisher 112 transcodes the
source video file and
uploads it to the content delivery network 124, where it is made available for
viewing via the
player 128. The client embeds the player 128 directly into the document using
HTML. The
player 128 requests the file from the content delivery network 124 and begins
playing back the
video. The application servers 120 monitor traffic to the content delivery
network 124,
disabling files when they are no longer needed and generating reporting data
for Clients.
[0043] In embodiments, a browser enabled processor platform 104 may be a
microprocessor or
microcontroller-based electronic device capable of supporting a browser
application. The
browser enabled processor platform 104 may have a CPU that executes software
code for the
basic operation of the device. The executable code may include an Operating
System,
programs, device drivers and other software components. Device drivers may
include UO
device drivers and network interface drivers. A device driver may interface to
a keypad or to a
USB port. A network interface driver may execute protocols for the Internet,
or an intranet,
Wide Area Network (WAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Personal Area Network
(PAN),
extranet, or other network.
[0044] In embodiments, the browser enabled processor platform 104 may include
a memory
facility. The memory facility may contain transactional memory and/or long-
term storage
memory facilities. The memory facility may function as file or document
storage, program
storage, or working memory. A working memory facility may include, but is not
limited to,
static random access memory, dynamic random access memory, read-only memory,
cache or
Flash memory. A working memory facility may, for example, process temporally-
based
instructions, in part, by temporarily storing code relating to an action of a
device and purging
the information from the working memory facility in close temporal proximity
to the
completion of the action. A long-term memory facility may include, but is not
limited to, a
hard drive, portable drive, portable disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), tape
facility, or other
storage facility. A hardware memory facility may store a fixed information set
(e.g., software
code) including, but not limited to, a file, program, application, source
code, object code, and
the like.
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[0045] In embodiments, the browser enabled processor platform 104 may contain
hardware
for converting analog signals to digital data, or for converting digital
signals into analog
signals. An example of converting an analog signal to digital data may be the
conversion of an
analog audio or video source into digital data for the storage of the audio or
video information
for subsequent storage, playback, conversion, transfer of the original audio
to a digital,
microprocessor-based system or to perform another function as described
herein. Another
example of converting an analog signal to digital data may be the conversion
of analog signals
from a light sensor device into digital data for the storage of visual
information for subsequent
storage, playback, or transfer of the original audio to a digital,
microprocessor-based system.
Visual information may be in the form of still images, icons, graphics, video
images, or audio-
video images, and the like.
[0046] The browser enabled processor platform 104 may have UO interfaces. I/O
interfaces
may include a hardware network interface, displays, CD/DVD, video enabled
recording/storage device video enabled recording/storage device 102 ,
keypads/keyboards,
printer, or other standard interfaces. An example of a hardware network
interface may be a
broadband connection, a dial-up connection, wireless, or other connection. An
example of a
display may be a monitor, plasma screen, or a liquid crystal display. An
example of a video
enabled recording/storage device video enabled recording/storage device 102
may be a digital
camera 102A, digital video camera 102B, webcam/video capture board 102E, a
cell phone
102C, personal digital assistant, pocket pc, notebook, and the like. An
example of other
standard interfaces may include, but is not limited to, a USB port, parallel
port, serial port,
microphone, or speaker.
[0047] A browser 108 may be a software application for navigating a network
118, such as the
Internet, intranet, extranet, a private network, and or content in file
systems. A browser 108
may be a software application that enables a user to display and interact with
text, images,
videos, audio and other content accessible through the network 118 (e.g.,
information typically
located on a web page 122 at a website on the world wide web or a local area
network). Text,
images, video and other content (e.g., on a web page) may contain hyperlinks
to navigate to
other web pages at the same or different websites 122. Web browsers 108 may
allow a user to
navigate and access information provided on many web pages at many websites
122 by
traversing these links. Web browsers 108 may also provide other features such
as storing the
address for a favorite website utilizing the browser's Bookmark Manager.
Examples of
bookmarked websites 122 may be hyperlinks to other personal sites, e-commerce
sites,
government sites, or educational sites. Another feature of web browsers 108
may be caching,
where recently visited websites 122 are transferred through the processor
interface and stored
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in processor memory to decrease retrieval time for subsequent calls for the
website 122.
Examples of web browsers 108 may be Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla
Firefox, Opera,
Netscape, or Apple Safari. Although browsers 108 may typically be used to
access the world
wide web, they may also be used to access information provided by web servers
in private
networks or content in file systems.
[0048] Web browsers 108 may communicate with web servers through the network
interface
primarily using Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to fetch webpages. HTTP
may allow a
web browser 108 to upload information across the network interface to web
servers as well as
download web pages from them. Webpages are located by means of a Uniform
Resource
Locator (URL), which may be treated as an address, beginning with http: for
HTTP access.
Many browsers 108 may support a variety of other URL types and their
corresponding
protocols. Examples of other URL types may be ftp: for File Transfer Protocol
(FTP), rtsp: for
Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), and https: for HTTPS (an SSL encrypted
version of
HTTP). The file format for a web page may be Hyper-Text Markup Language
(HTML).
Browsers may also support formats in addition to HTML. Examples of other
support formats
may be JPEG, PNG and GIF image formats, and can be extended to support more
through the
use of browser plug-ins. An example of a browser plug-in may be Macromedia's
Flash or
Apple's QuickTime. The combination of HTTP and URL protocol specification may
allow web
pages to have embedded images, animations, video, sound, and streaming media
into the
webpage, or make them accessible through the web page.
[0049] A publisher 112 may be provided in association with a browser enabled
processor
platform 104 and the publisher 112 may be designed as a browser plug-in or
other integrated
software component. The embedded software component may be adapted to 'plug-
into' the
browser 108 in such a way that the publisher 112 functionality is presented as
functions within
the browser 108. This may allow a user to launch or otherwise interface with a
browser style
application, which he may be very familiar with, and deploy the publisher 112
functionality
without leaving the browser user interface. In embodiments, this may provide a
consistent web
style experience for the user. The user may be using the publisher 112 to
convert a video file to
a streaming format, edit the file, and post the file to a website 122 or other
associated network
location. Using systems and methods according to the present invention, the
user may feel as if
he is interacting with the Internet or other network 118 through a browser
application, and
manipulating the video files as desired all while interacting with the same
familiar web browser
style program. In embodiments, the user may ultimately intend to extract a
video file from a
video source or storage facility for editing and posting to a website 122 (as
further described
herein). The user may get the impression that he is accomplishing all or many
of the functions
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while connected to and interfacing with the network 118. This may provide a
seamless network
experience because the user opens his interface to the network 118 (e.g., his
browser
application) and then works within that interface environment to manipulate
and post his video
on an intended website 122.
[0050] In embodiments, the publisher 112 may be an embedded browser plug-in. A
plug-in
may be a program that is designed to interact with another program to provide
certain
functions. The browser plug-in may be adapted to plug into, or otherwise
interface with, a
browser-style software application. In embodiments, the browser plug-in may be
delivered
through a CD, DVD, or portable drive, downloaded from an application server
120, provided
with hardware, or otherwise provided. Examples of functions that plug-ins may
provide
include, but is not limited to, adding the capability of displaying specific
graphic formats (e.g.,
SVG if the program doesn't support this format as apart of its standard
functionality), to play
multimedia files, to encrypt/decrypt email (e.g., PGP), or to filter images in
graphic programs.
A primary program, such as a web browser 108 or an email client, for example,
may provide a
way for plug-ins to register themselves with the program, and a protocol by
which data is
exchanged with plug-ins.
[0051 ] The functions that the publisher 112 plug-in may add to the standard
browser
functionality may include a user interface for receiving video from multiple
sources, editing the
video, encoding the video into a new format, and posting the video to a
website 118. The
publisher's web interface may be facilitated by the browser's network
interface made through
the browser enabled processor platform's 104 network connection. The publisher
112 may open
a connection to a content deliver network 124 to upload the transcoded files
to streaming
servers. The publisher 112 browser plugin may provide secure handshake
protocols and
authentication with the application servers 120. Publisher 112 may also store
files locally on
the browser enabled processor platform 104 through the browser's interface.
[0052] The publisher 112 browser plug-in may supply a drag-and-drop interface
to the
browser's functionality that allows for simplified video encoding and posting
of video files to a
network 118. The drag-and-drop interface may provide for the receiving of
video from a
variety of sources. An example of a video source may be a webcam/video capture
card 102E.
The webcam/video capture card 102E may use start and stop capture buttons to
control
captures from these video devices. Since these devices do not provide
integrated audio sources,
publisher 112 may allow for the selection of an audio source from a dropdown
list, and set
audio record volume using a slider and an audio level meter. A preview window
may display
the live video stream. Another example of a video source may be a digital
video camera 102B.
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The publisher 112 may capture video and audio directly from digital video
cameras 102B,
either capturing the live feed from the camera, or reading a stored video off
a tape, for
example. In the latter case, the publisher 112 may provide VCR/DVR-style
controls that allow
the user to queue up the tape. A 'StartCapture" button may begin capturing
video and audio
from the device, and a 'stop capture' button may end the capture. A preview
window may
display the video feed from the device. Another example of a video source may
be a video
enabled cellular phone 102C. Publisher 112 may also capture Email, MMS, SMS or
other
messaging from the cell phone 102C. A user may upload a video via a video
message,
downloaded video, video accessed via a browser 104, etc. from a video-enabled
cell phone
102C. The user may be provided a unique numerical email, or other messaging
code, or other
address (e.g. 1234@xyz.com) to which to send the video message. The end user
may send a
video message to this address, where an SMTP server, and /or other
configuration of server,
will receive the message, parse the video file, and store it. The server may
also store the
association between the ID number (1234) and the path on the server of the
stored video file.
Once the email is received, the publisher 112 may automatically download the
video file from
the mail server. Other examples of a video and/or audio source may be a CD,
DVD 102D, a
cell phone 102C, personal digital assistant, pocket pc, notebook, and the
like. The publisher
112 may read audio and video directly from a CD or DVD 102D, and read video
files from still
cameras, or other devices, that support video. The publisher 112 may also
provide the ability to
direct capture video from the source.
[0053] In embodiments, sources of video may use a wide variety of file formats
which may
complicate the process of posting video files onto a network 118. The
publisher 112 browser
plug-in may allow for the translation of one file format to another file
format. Publisher 112
may choose a common file format to translate into in order to establish a
standard for the
service. The translation of code from one format to another is referred to as
transcoding.
Publisher 112 may transcode into a common format from a plurality of file
formats. Some
examples of these formats are: WMV, ASF, MPEG, 3GPP, 3GPP2, A-GIF, DV, FLIC,
AMC,
MPET1, MPEG2, MP4, MOV, VDU, WMV7, WMV8, MPG1, MPG4, CinPak, MSM45,
MSM41, MSM42, MSM43, RVU9, ACLEP, MJPEG, Apl Ani, Apl Vid, MJPGA, MJPGB,
H.261, H.263, comp V, DV-N, DV-Pal, DVCP-N, DVCP-P, MSVidl, SrVid2, SrVid3,
Indeo3,
Indeo5, and Flash 5.
[0054] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer architecture for use with the
present system,
according to one embodiment. Computer architecture 200 can be used to
implement a server
120, websites 122, processing platforms 140, devices 102, and devices 132 of
FIG. 1. One
embodiment of architecture 200 comprises a system bus 220 for communicating
information,
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and a processor 210 coupled to bus 220 for processing information.
Architecture 200 further
comprises a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device 225
(referred to
herein as main memory), coupled to bus 220 for storing information and
instructions to be
executed by processor 210. Main memory 225 also may be used for storing
temporary
variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions
by processor 210.
Architecture 200 also may include a read only memory (ROM) and/or other static
storage
device 226 coupled to bus 220 for storing static information and instructions
used by processor
210.
[0055] A data storage device 227 such as a magnetic disk or optical disc and
its corresponding
drive may also be coupled to computer system 200 for storing information and
instructions.
Architecture 200 can also be coupled to a second I/O bus 250 via an I/O
interface 230. A
plurality of UO devices may be coupled to I/O bus 250, including a display
device 243, an
input device (e.g., an alphanumeric input device 242 and/or a cursor control
device 241).
[0056] The communication device 240 allows for access to other computers
(servers or clients)
via a network. The communication device 240 may comprise a modem, a network
interface
card, a wireless network interface or other well known interface device, such
as those used for
coupling to Ethernet, token ring, or other types of networks.
[0057] Player 128 makes a call to an ad manager 125 that exists in content
delivery network
124. The ad manager 125 sends advertising code to the player 128. The player
128 tracks user
events, such as each instance where the user pauses or plays the content, or
when the content
begins and ends.
The ad server 135 provides the ad manager 125 in content delivery network 124
with an XML
file. The XML file indicates to the ad manager 125:
= a pre-roll advertisement (e.g., an advertisement shown to the user before
showing the
content the user requested),
= a ticker advertisement (e.g., an advertisement shown in a ticker during the
playback of
the user requested content), and
= a post roll advertisement (e.g., an advertisement shown after the user
completes
viewing the desired content.)
= a mid roll advertisement (e.g., an advertisement shown in the middle of the
desired
content.)
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= a menu advertisement (e.g., an advertisement show in an interface inside the
video
player where the user is selecting additional content or accessing additional
functionality like emailing or embedding the player)
[0058] These various advertisements are constructed from reusable components.
For example,
the ticker advertisement is an animation, according to one embodiment. The
content of the
animation is downloaded from the content deliver network whose name and
properties are
specified dynamically from the XML file, such that a ticker size is defined, a
title is defined
and a URL of an image to appear in the ticker within advertising region 435.
[0059] The ad manager 125 is loaded into player 128 and performs scaling.
According to one
embodiment, the ad manager 125 is a Flash file (e.g., swf) that is application
specific. For
example, if the advertising content to beserved is video, a video handler is
loaded into player
128. If the advertising content to be served is a slideshow, a slideshow
handler is loaded into
player 128. If the advertising content to be served is a FLV Flash video, a
FLV Flash handler
is loaded into player 128. If the advertising content to be served is a
Netstream Flash video, a
Netstream Flash handler is loaded into player 128. The ad server 135, ad
manager 125, and
content delivery network 124 allows interactive advertisements to be provided
to a number of
third party websites that host a player 128. The present method and system
allows for ticker
ads that may be interactive overlays on video that invite the user to watch
the advertisers
message.
[0060] Systems and methods for interaction prompt initiated video advertising
have been
described. It is understood that the embodiments described herein are for the
purpose of
elucidation and should not be considered limiting the subject matter of the
present patent.
Various modifications, uses, substitutions, combinations, improvements,
methods of
productions without departing from the scope or spirit of the present
invention would be
evident to a person skilled in the art.
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